What if Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
by Katy M VT
Summary: What if it took place pre-series and Karen was a ghost instead of a zombie? Chapter 6 of 6 up.
1. Teaser

What if it took place pre-series and Karen was a ghost instead of a zombie?

Sam's 13, Dean's 17

"Come on, boys," John said. "Bobby needs help on a hunt."

"But, dad, I have a soccer tournament this weekend," Sam whined.

"People are dying and you want to play soccer? Get your butt in the car," John retorted.

Sam grumbled, but got in the car. Dean rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long drive.

SSS

"Glad you could make it," Bobby said, coming out to greet them. He noticed Sam's surly expression. He felt bad for the kid. Dean, too. This was no life for a child. He often wondered what the hell John was thinking.

"How you doing, Sam?" Bobby asked.

"Fine," Sam mumbled, looking down at the ground.

"Be polite, Sam," John said.

"It's OK," Bobby said. Sam was usually the most polite kid he'd ever met, but the stress of hunting and always moving was clearly getting to him.

"What's the hunt?" Dean asked, to get the attention off Sam, before John totally went off on him.

"Werewolf," Bobby answered.

"Awesome," Dean said. He loved hunting werewolves. He wasn't sure why and it wasn't a common hunt, but he loved it.

"Dean, try not to be too happy about people dying so that you can hunt a werewolf," John admonished.

"Sorry, sir," Dean said.

"Sam coming?" Bobby asked.

"No. He's not ready for a werewolf hunt," John said. Werewolves were fast, strong and had claws. With one swipe of a claw, one could end Sam's life, or with one well-placed bite, change Sam into one of them. As annoying as Sam was, John would never do anything to put him at risk.

Dean felt bad that Sam was going to miss out on the were hunt. Sam didn't get to go on many of the bigger hunts that Dean had gotten to go on when he was his age. He didn't know if it was because Sam didn't train as hard, or if it was just that dad was more protective of Sammy.

Sam didn't mind that he didn't have to go on hunts. He hated hunting. He didn't care what it was. He was glad that people were saved when they hunted, but he wasn't glad that it seemed to be their responsibility. All he wanted to do was live in the same town, make friends, go to school, and have a career that didn't involve weaponry.

The three older hunters took off and Sam trudged into the house. He tried to turn on the TV but it was broken. Great, there wasn't a lot else to do at Uncle Bobby's. Unless you were Dean or Dad, then you could work on cars. He headed up to the attic. Maybe there was something interesting up there. He found a box called Karen's stuff. He wondered who Karen was. He just stared at the box. He was curious, but didn't know if he should open it or not. Bobby had never mentioned anyone named Karen. Maybe it was left from a former owner of the house.

SSS

Karen had been roaming around this house for 20 years. Nobody could see her or hear her. It was so frustrating. She had lived the last few days of her life with something inside her. She could feel it. It was evil. She screamed inside her own body when it had tried to kill Bobby. Bobby had stabbed her several times and this thing in her had kept coming at him. She felt the pain of the stabs, but as long as that evil entity was in her body, her spirit didn't seem able to escape it.

For three days after Bobby had stabbed her, the demon had kept Bobby captive in the house. Apparently, Bobby had had an old friend who had become a priest. A Jim Murphy. This priest exorcised lots of demons, but somehow managed to hide from them. This demon was trying to find out his whereabouts. On the third day, Jim had coincidentally shown up. He took the demon by surprise and exorcised it. The same moment that the demon finally left her body, so did Karen's spirits. She had been roaming through this house ever since.

She watched as Jim explained to Bobby what had happened. Bobby had been distraught that he had killed her. She wanted to take him in her arms and tell him it was alright. It wasn't his fault. She watched as he decided to go out and hunt all these creatures. She worried about him every time he left the house. She had tried to follow him several times, but she could never get past the door.

When John Winchester had shown up with his two children, she had been instantly enchanted. Especially by the little one. He was about two years old at the time. She wanted to hold him. She cried when she realized that these little ones did not have a mother. She wanted nothing more to be solid so she could be their mother.

Now, she watched as Sam looked at her box of things. She knew that if the box was open, she would be able to manifest herself. She didn't know how she knew, she just knew. Sam opened the box.

"Thank you," she said.

Sam whipped around startled.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm your new mother."


	2. Werewolf

"So, this is the werewolf's hunting grounds?" John asked.

"Yep," Bobby confirmed.

"And this is the last night of the cycle, so we have to get him tonight," Dean observed.

The three hunters were crouched down behind a dumpster in an alley. The last six nights in a row someone had been killed in alleys nearby and Bobby was pretty sure the werewolf would pick this alley tonight. Soon, they heard a growling sound.

Dean was so excited that he jumped up and emptied his clip of silver bullets into the werewolf's heart.

"Dean, you hardly took the time to make sure that was a werewolf and not a man making a weird noise," John lectured.

"Your father's right. You have to be careful with werewolves. They're people by day, so you can't just shoot first and doublecheck later," Bobby said.

"You're right. I'm sorry," Dean said. He hadn't even been thinking like that.

"It's alright," John said. "You just need to slow down sometimes," John said. "Guess we can head back to Sam now."

SSS

"What do you mean you're my new mother?" Sam asked.

"Just what I said. Come downstairs and I'll make you supper." She took Sam's hand. It was the coldest thing Sam had ever felt and he pulled away.

Karen was hurt. She loved this boy. She had loved him from the first time he had come into the house. Dean, too, but there was just something special about Sam. She saw that his father and brother felt it. They were very protective of him. But, that was OK, because she had no intention of hurting him.

"It's OK, Sam, come on," she said and took his hand once again.

Sam pulled away again.

"You're making me angry," Karen said. She took his hand for a third time. This time she gripped it tightly so he couldn't extricate his hand. She pulled him downstairs towards the kitchen and he had no choice to follow.

"Now, what would you like to eat?" Karen asked sweetly.

"Please, just let me go," Sam said. He didn't like ghosts, he didn't want one for a mother.

"You don't want to leave, Sam. We're going to have so much fun. Just tell me what you want to eat." Karen let go of his hand as she turned her attention to the cupboards. She wasn't sure what Bobby had in there. At the thought of Bobby, she began to hum. She couldn't wait to see him, now that he could see her, too.

Sam watched for a second to make sure the ghost was fully distracted by her musings. He didn't know who she was, but assumed she was Karen, since she appeared when he opened up her box. That wasn't particularly helpful as he didn't know who Karen was, though. He took a tiny step backwards and she didn't notice. He took another and then another until he reached the door. He tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Were you trying to leave me?" Karen asked. She turned around when she heard Sam rattling the knob.

Sam decided not to answer. It was obvious that he was, but she might not want to hear that.

"Tell me your sorry," Karen demanded. That was what her father had said to her every time she disobeyed. He only asked for that after he beat her, though. Karen decided that with her children, she would give them one warning and a chance to apologize before punishing them.

Sam suddenly found himself tongue-tied. While he hadn't been too thrilled with the idea of a ghost wanting to be his mother from the beginning, up until now, she had seemed semi-harmless. But, there was something in her eyes that made him shiver.

Karen couldn't believe that he wasn't apologizing. This was unacceptable behavior. She trembled with rage and touched Sam on the forehead. He felt ice cold all over. Then, he felt a sensation like whips hitting his whole body at once. He cried out in pain.

Immediately, Karen was gripped with remorse. She hadn't meant to hurt her baby. "I'm sorry, sweetie," she said. "But you have to obey me. Tell me you're sorry."

"I'm sorry," Sam whispered. He couldn't go through that again. He had never felt so much pain in his life.

"That's not the way to apologize, Sam. I'm not mad, because I realize that you don't know how to offer a proper apology, so I'll tell you. You stand in front of me, look down at the ground and say, 'I apologize profusely, Mom.'"

Was she serious? Sam slowly got to his feet. He was still in pain from whatever it was she had done to him.

"I apologize profusely….Mom," he said while looking at the floor. He hoped that appeased her, and he hoped the others got back, soon.

SSS

The three hunters stopped at a diner to eat. "We should spend the night at the motel next door and go home in the morning," Bobby said.

"Why? We're only five hours away," Dean said.

"Yeah, it's already 9:00 p.m. We were up all night last night. We don't want to kill someone in an accident."

"Bobby's right," John said. Besides, he wasn't too keen on seeing Sam again. He had a real attitude problem. He needed a little bit of space from him.

They got two rooms at the motel. Dean called Bobby's house.

SSS

Sam and Karen were sitting in the living room watching TV. Sam had inadvertently misbehaved three times and been punished three times. Each time had been more painful than the last.

The phone rang. "What should I do?" Sam asked. He didn't want to incur any wrath, and figured asking would forestall that."

"Answer it and act normally. Don't mention me."

Sam answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Sammy. How are you doing?" Dean asked.

"Fine. Did you get the werewolf?" Sam asked, trying to keep any fear out of his voice. He didn't want to get in trouble.

"Sure did."

Sam wanted to ask when they would be back. He knew they could take care of the ghost, but he was afraid that would make it mad. "That's great," he said, trying to muster enthusiasm.

"Is something wrong, Sammy?" Dean asked. Sam seemed a little off, but he could quite put his finger on it.

John looked over at Dean when he said that. He hoped that Dean wasn't going to feed Sam's latest drama, whatever it was.

"I'm just tired," Sam answered.

"OK, I'll let you get some sleep. See you tomorrow," Dean said and hung up.

Sam hung up the phone, reluctantly. He felt like he had just disconnected a lifeline. He looked at the ghost. "Was that OK?" he asked.

"Yes, that was very good, Sam. Why don't you go to bed now?"

"OK, Sam said, relieved to be able to get a little time to himself. He couldn't get in any trouble in bed. He got up and headed towards the stairs.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Karen asked in the stern voice Sam already recognized as the one which meant he was doing something wrong.

"What?" Sam asked. He was shaking. If the ghost decided to get mad that he didn't know, instead of telling him, he was in for another round of a world of hurt.

"Kissing me good night."

Sam used every inner resource not to shudder. He approached her and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night, Mom," he said.

"Good night, sweetheart," she said and he sighed with relief.


	3. Honesty is the Best Policy

"Good morning, Sam," Karen said as she entered her son's room to wake him up. "I know pancakes are your favorite, so I've made you some."

"Thank you, Mom," Sam said. He had been hoping this whole thing was a nightmare.

He followed her downstairs and nearly choked on her pancakes. They were terrible. "What's wrong, Sam?" Karen asked.

"I don't feel good," Sam lied. There was no way he could eat these, but he couldn't tell her they were disgusting.

"You're lying," Karen said darkly. "I purposely made the pancakes bad to test your honesty."

"I, I, I didn't want to hurt your feelings, because I love you so much, " Sam tried.

"Liar!" she screamed. How could she trust him if he wouldn't be honest with her? Didn't he understand that she just wanted what was best for him? That was a nice loving relationship with her that was based on honesty. She just had to teach him. He had been brought up on lies. It wasn't his fault, but it needed correcting.

Sam tried to back away as he saw the ghost coming at him with her hand. He didn't want the pain again. But there was no escape. The previous times she had punished him, it had lasted about 30 seconds. This time she left her hand on his forehead for a full five minutes. He thought he was going to die. When she finally removed her hand, he fell to his knees panting and gasping for breath.

"Do you know why I punished you so severely?" Karen asked.

Sam had no choice but to mutely shake his head. He didn't know the right answer and he couldn't speak right now even if he did.

"Because lying is the worst offense. I want you to always be honest with me. Do you understand?"

Sam nodded his head.

"Why don't you go to sleep on the couch."

Sam nodded gratefully. That had taken a lot out of him, but he didn't think he could make it up the stairs, much less converse with the ghost and try not to piss it off.

SSS

John and Bobby had taken both their vehicles on the hunt. They always did it that way even though a lot of times it resulted in a lecture from Sam regarding greenhouse effect, global warming, dependence on foreign oil, and on and on.

"I have to get some more ammo," John said when they met up for lunch about an hour out from Bobby's.

"Can I just go back with Bobby?" Dean asked. He was worried about Sam. He had sounded funny last night and there was no answer when he called this morning.

"If it's OK with him," John answered, already mentally calculating exactly what he needed to get from Jefferson.

"Fine by me," Bobby agreed.

"See you later," John said as he drove off in one direction and Bobby drove off with Dean in another.

SSS

Karen was getting a little worried. Sam had been sleeping a long time. She wondered if she had been too harsh with him. After all, his deception had been born of love for her. She smiled as she remembered how he had confessed why he had lied. After that it had taken all her resolve to punish him, but she knew it had to be done.

She heard Bobby's truck pulling up outside. "Sam, Daddy's home," Karen whispered to the sleeping child.

"Sam!" Dean called as he came in the house. He froze when he saw Sam inert on the couch with a strange woman standing over him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Your new mother," she said, repeating her answer to Sam.

"What's wrong with him?" Dean asked, deciding to ignore that delusional answer.

"He's just sleeping off his punishment," Karen said, speaking more confidently than she felt. She was worried about him herself, but she couldn't convey that fear to either of her sons.

"Karen?" Bobby asked when he came in a few seconds later.

"You know her?" Dean asked.

"She's my wife."

"Your wife?" Dean asked. If Bobby was married why hadn't they ever seen his wife before.

"She's been dead for 20 years," Bobby said, answering the unvoiced question.

Crap, that meant she was a ghost.

"Why don't you boys go upstairs, while I talk to your father," Karen said. She couldn't wait for some alone time with her husband.

"Why don't you bite me," Dean countered.

Karen glared angrily at Dean, but she didn't want to deal with him right now. She wanted to talk to Bobby.

"Why don't they go outside and get some fresh air instead?" Bobby suggested. He wanted to get them out of harm's way. While he knew that his wife would never hurt anybody, he also knew that once you passed into the other life and were a ghost for years, you changed.

"No, nobody's leaving this house," Karen said. "Sam, go upstairs with your brother."

Sam knew that tone. After only a day and a half, he knew that tone and he didn't like it.

"Yes, Mom," he said and tugged on Dean's hand.

Mom? How could Sam call that thing Mom? That was an insult to their real mother. However, he decided to act like he was going upstairs with Sam. When he got to the front door, he drew out his salt gun and shot Karen. She disappared. He went to open the so they could escape to the outside. The door didn't budge.

"That's not the way to the upstairs," Karen said sweetly, when she reappeared next to Dean. She grabbed the gun out of his hand.

Sam tugged at Dean to lead him upstairs. Dean decided to go upstairs with Sam so he could find out what had happened while they were in private.

As Karen watched them head upstairs she turned to Bobby and smiled. "Our boys are a little willful, but they're good boys aren't they?"

"Yeah, they're great," Bobby said. "But, you know they aren't ours, right?"

"Their father doesn't love them. We'll be much better parents to them," Karen said, and she intended that to be her last word on the subject. She walked up to Bobby and kissed him. He nearly recoiled her lips were so cold. But, he thought he shouldn't anger her. He had to get her to unseal the house, so he could get the boys out.


	4. Burning the Remains

"What happened, Sam?" Dean asked, coldly. He didn't know if he could forgive Sam for accepting that thing as his mother.

"I was up in the attic looking around and I found this box labeled Karen's stuff. I opened it and then she appeared," Sam said. He could tell Dean was mad at him. He didn't blame him.

"Well, if we sneak up to the attic and burn the stuff, she ought to disappear," Dean said logically. Bobby had stashes of salt, along with silver, iron, and anything else you might need to fight off a fugly, in every room of his house. Gotta love Bobby. He grabbed some salt and they headed quietly up to the attic. Even though, he was majorly beyond mad at Sam, he wasn't going to leave him alone when there was a ghost on the loose.

When they got to the attic, Sam pointed out the box. Dean took everything out and made a pile. He then poured on salt, and picked up the whole pile and loaded it into the old wood stove that Bobby kept operational and stocked up. He lit it and they watched as everything burned.

"That ought to take care of it," Dean said.

"Thanks," Sam said.

Dean ignored him. It was going to take a while for Sam to get back into his good graces after forsaking his family like that.

"I'm going to go downstairs and check on Bobby," Dean said, making it clear that he did not want Sam to accompany him.

Sam nodded and headed into the bedroom. Even though, he had slept most of the day away, he was still tired.

When Dean got downstairs he was horrified to see Bobby and the ghost sitting on the couch. The ghost turned to him. "Time for bed, Dean."

Bobby nodded to Dean telling him to listen. He remembered why he and Karen decided that they wouldn't have children. Karen had been abused as a child and she was afraid that she would do the same to her children. Bobby hadn't thought that anyone as sweet as his wife could do those things, but when his niece and nephew had visited one weekend, he had found out that he was wrong. His wife had a lot of love for children, but she also had an ingrained sense that they needed to be punished for every little infraction. He couldn't imagine what she could do to these boys as a spirit.

Dean headed back upstairs frustrated. Now what?

SSS

The next morning, John returned to Bobby's. He tried to open the door as when they were staying there, they never stood on ceremony and knocked. He found it locked, though. "Hey, it's me," he yelled, when nobody answered his knock.

The new family was sitting around the breakfast table. "Dad, help! We're being held prisoner by a ghost," Dean yelled wondering why Sam and Bobby didn't seem to be bothering to care about the fact.

"Inside voices, Dean," Karen said.

Sam froze. He was afraid Dean was going to get punished. "Apologize," he whispered under his breath.

"What? No way."

John heard the shout. "What ghost?" he yelled back, knowing that an identity was the most important part of getting rid of one.

"Don't answer," Karen warned.

Dean ignored her. "Bobby's wife," he yelled back.

"I told you not to answer," she raged. She placed her hand on Dean's head and he felt pain like he had never known. Thirty seconds later she removed her hand and he gasped for breath.

"What brought her back after all this time?" John yelled through the door, having no idea what was taking place inside.

Not to be deterred by a little punishment, Dean answered once again. "Sam opened a box of her stuff. I burned all of that, though."

"You are not to speak to him," Karen said, and again placed her hand on Dean's head, this time for a whole minute. He couldn't help but cry out in pain.

"Are you OK? Dean?" John yelled, when he heard his son's cry.

"DO NOT ANSWER HIM!" Karen warned.

But Dean didn't want his Dad to worry. "We're fine, Dad," he yelled back.

"You know, I've been watching you all in this house for a very long time," Karen informed Dean.

"Creepy, but what's your point?" Dean asked, sarcastically.

"It means I know a better way to keep you in line than punishing you," Karen said ominously.

Dean was kind of glad about that, because that punishment sure hurt.

"Where is she buried?" John yelled.

Dean looked to Bobby. Bobby didn't want Dean to get hurt again so he didn't answer. However, Dean suddenly remembered one time when he and Sam were both really young, and John was out on a hunt, Bobby took them to his wife's grave. "That graveyard at the south end of town. Way in the back."

"You guys hang on," John said and left. He didn't usually do graveyard salt and burns in the middle of the day, but he was going to have to make an exception this time.

Karen looked at Dean and said, "I warned you." She put her hand out, but instead of reaching for Dean, she reached towards Sam. Sam knocked over his chair in his attempt to get away, but of course, she was faster. He whimpered, while she kept her hand on his head for a minute and a half. Every time Dean and Bobby tried to interfere, she simply shoved them off. She loved being a ghost. She was so strong.

"Boys, clean up the breakfast mess. Your father and I have some things to discuss," Karen said.

"But, Karen, Sam's in no shape for…," Bobby was cut off when Karen angrily interrupted.

"Sam has been coddled every time after being punished the last couple of days. He needs to toughen up a bit. Come upstairs with me. We need to discuss how to foil your friend." Karen smiled when her back was turned from everyone. She knew why she was still around and it had nothing to do with her bones. But, the longer the rest of them were kept in the dark, the better. Bobby followed her upstairs to get her away from the boys. He hoped John hurried with that bone burning. He didn't see how Karen expected to stop him from here.

When they were gone, Dean rushed to Sam. "Are you OK, Sammy?"

Sam nodded through tears. He felt like a wimp, but it hurt so bad and every time he was punished, he felt like a little bit of him was drained away each time.

"Sam, I'm sorry," Dean said.

"It's OK, you didn't know she would punish me," Sam said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, too, but that's not what I meant," Dean said.

"What did you mean, then?" Sam asked, confused.

"I was so mad at you for calling her mom and doing everything she told you. I had no idea that she had been hurting you."

Sam turned away. "She hurt you, too, and you still defied her," Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, but I don't think I would have been able to after another round. Besides, I was only defying her, so Dad could get rid of her. I had an end game in mind," Dean said. He didn't want Sam feeling bad about this. He was only a kid after all.

"We'd better clean up the kitchen," Sam said. There was no way of knowing when she would come back downstairs.

"I'll do it. You rest," Dean said. He hoped his dad fried her bones extra crispy for what she had done to Sam. He couldn't understand how Bobby could have married someone like her.


	5. One Determined Ghost

"How are we going to stop John from burning my bones?" Karen asked. As long as that was their goal they wouldn't be looking for anything else. Especially if she seemed determined to stop it.

"Can't see a way from here," Bobby said.

"Wait, if we keep him here, he can't burn my bones," Karen said.

"I think he's already left," Bobby pointed out, wondering what she was up to.

"We'll get him back."

She ran downstairs. She found Dean cleaning and Sam just sitting at the table. "You're both supposed to be cleaning."

Sam jumped to his feet. "I apologize profusely," he said looking down, hoping that for once the apology she demanded would be enough.

"That's OK. As long as it's getting done." She thrust the phone at Sam. "Call John's cell phone. Tell him if he doesn't get back here in 10 minutes, you're dead." She would never refer to John as Sam's father. That was Bobby.

Dean dropped the dish he was washing. If his dad was back here, he wouldn't be able to burn the bones and they were trapped for good, but if his dad didn't come back, Sam would be dead. They were screwed either way.

"Karen, you don't want to kill Sam. He's your son," Bobby reasoned with here. "Our son," he amended.

"It's OK. He'll be a ghost, too. Then, he'll be with me forever. But, if John does what I tell him to, I'll leave Sam alive," she promised.

Sam looked to Dean. He didn't know what he should do. Dean sighed. He didn't see any other way. "Call him," he nodded. He knew that he wouldn't have had time to get to the cemetery yet, much less find the grave and dig up the bones. That would take longer than the ten minutes allotted for him to get back here.

Sam dialed with trembling fingers. "Dad?" he said when John answered the phone.

"HE'S NOT YOUR FATHER!" Karen raged and touched Sam, giving him the dreaded punishment.

Sam whimpered into the phone and fell to his knees.

"Sammy, are you OK?" John asked in a panic.

"I'm supposed to tell you that if you're not back here in ten minutes, I'm dead," Sam said.

John slammed on the brakes and turned the car around. "I'm on my way," he promised.

Karen took the phone from him and hung it up. "Help your brother with the dishes."

Sam stumbled over to Dean. Dean held Sam up with one hand and tried to wash dishes with the other. It wasn't working very well, but Karen didn't seem to notice or care.

SSS

Nine minutes and 50 seconds later, John was pounding on the door. "I'm here," he yelled.

"Good. Stay on the porch and don't even think about leaving," Karen yelled back

"Let me talk to my boys," John demanded.

"They're not your boys," Karen countered. They were all sitting on the couch quietly. They were afraid to say or do anything that might enrage Karen for fear that she would hurt Sam.

Dean wanted nothing more than to reassure his father, but he couldn't watch Sammy get hurt again. He was still pretty conked out from the last time.

John just prayed that his boys were still alive. What Karen didn't know was that he had called another hunter to come and burn the bones. He had refused to do it until nightfall, but he had promised that it would be done. By morning, everything should be fine.

SSS

At 3 in the morning, John felt his cell phone vibrate. He answered it. "It's done. The bones of Karen singer are dusted."

John sighed in relief. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me, it's what we do," the hunter said and signed off.

John stood up and tried the door. It still wouldn't budge. He wondered if it was just locked. He pounded on the door.

"You are to be out on the porch, but not bother us," Karen called down. "It's the middle of the night, we're sleeping."

John wanted to cry in frustration. If her bones were burned, he didn't know how else to get rid of her.

Karen went into the boys' bedroom. Sam and Dean sat up in bed. They had heard the pounding.

"John is disturbing us. Sam, I want you to go downstairs and ask him not to do it again."

Sam tenderly got out of bed. He was so weak. He was sure that Karen was somehow draining his life force. He would be dead after another couple of days of this. But until then, all he could do was try to avoid punishment. Maybe if he went long enough without one, his strength would come back.

After what seemed like hours he was finally at the foot of the stairs. "Da," he started to say dad, but thought better of it. "Please don't disturb us again," he said through the door and looked up to see Karen at the top of the stairs. She nodded at him encouragingly.

"Are you OK, Sammy?" John asked. His youngest son's voice sounded strained and tired through the door. But then again, it was the middle of the night.

No, Sam thought. Most definitely not. He remembered he was not supposed to lie. This might be another test. "No," he answered truthfully.

He looked up again and saw that Karen looked angry. He had messed up. He wished that he hadn't called his father back here. If he hadn't maybe he would be dead by now, which didn't seem like it would be so bad. He didn't think she would be able to hurt him then, even if she did find a way to keep him here.

Sam looked up at Karen again, trying to figure out what she would want him to say when he saw it. She was wearing a necklace. She hadn't been wearing it when she appeared. She must have taken it out of the box. That was what was keeping her here. He realized that his father had only pounded on the door after thinking Karen was gone. He had either snuck off and burned her bones himself or had someone else do it for him. He had to destroy that necklace.

"I'm just annoyed with you for intruding into our lives. We have a great new family and we don't want any part of you anymore," Sam hoped his father knew he didn't mean it, but with the way they had been fighting lately he wouldn't count on it.

John did know that Sam didn't mean it. He could tell that ghost had a powerful hold on them and wondered how he could get rid of it.

"Go back to bed, Sam," Karen said, pleased with the turn of events. Sam really did love her.

Sam went back upstairs as quickly as he could and slipped into his room. "I know what's keeping her here, Dean," he whispered.

"What?" Dean asked.

"That necklace she's wearing."

"How are we supposed to get that away from her?" Dean asked. Nothing was ever easy in their world.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe Bobby?"

"I don't know if you've noticed but we haven't been alone with Bobby at all," Dean pointed out. They couldn't exactly tell Bobby in front of the ghost.

"I have another idea," Sam said and they plotted through the wee hours of the morning.


	6. The Necklace

"Rise and shine," Karen sing-songed into their bedroom to wake them up.

Sam got up and went to hug her. "I love you, Mom," he said as he slowly reached up to undo the clasp around her necklace.

Karen was so thrilled by the declaration that she didn't even notice what was going on behind her back. When the necklace had fallen silently to the floor, Sam let go of his hug and put his arm around the ghost's waist. "Can you help me downstairs? I'm feeling a little weak," Sam asked, partly because it was true and partly to get her out of the room so Dean could quickly burn the necklace.

"Of course, Sweetheart," Karen said, thrilled that her little boy still needed her.

When they were in the hallway, Dean rushed over and picked up the necklace. He poured salt on it and lit a match, hoping he didn't end up burning the whole house down.

When Sam and Karen were at the top of the stairs, she flamed out, leaving Sam unsupported and he tumbled down them landing in an unconscious heap at the bottom.

Karen had sent Bobby downstairs to make breakfast and when he heard the crash he came running out. "Sam!" he yelled.

Dean also came running. Hearing the commotion, John tried the door again and was grateful when it yielded. "Call an ambulance," Bobby said. He didn't like the looks of the way Sam had fallen. He was afraid he may have broken his neck.

John already had his phone out. Dean continued down the stairs. "Stay back, Dean," Bobby said.

"Why?" Dean said. He wanted to comfort his brother.

Bobby was afraid Dean would move Sam. Every time Sam was hurt, it was Dean's instinct to cradle him. Touching Sam now could paralyze him or even kill him. "You can't touch him and if you're close I don't know if you'll be able to resist," Bobby said.

"But, Bobby," Dean said.

"Dean, you don't want to hurt your brother, do you?" John asked as gently as he could. He knew exactly what Bobby was thinking and he agreed with him whole-heartedly.

Dean sat on the stairs and John stood out on the doorway waiting for the ambulance. It arrived moments later. The EMTs expertly moved Sam onto the stretcher, careful not to further his injuries. "Who's riding with him?" they asked.

"I am," Dean said, not leaving any room for argument. He hopped in the ambulance and John and Bobby hopped into the Impala, following close behind.

Dean took Sam's hand. "You're going to be OK, kiddo," he promised.

He felt his hand being squeezed. He thought that was a good sign and squeezed it back.

SSS

Sam had been taken into the emergency room and the three hunters were in the waiting room pacing frantically.

"Are you OK, Bobby?" John asked. In his anxiety about Sam, he realized that Bobby had to be going through a lot. He didn't know how he would react to Mary's ghost. Especially if she was hurting the boys. But, like Bobby, he knew that ghosts were not the people that they were in life.

"That wasn't her. Not really. My Karen wouldn't have done this," he said and knew that it was true. She had lost her temper with his niece and nephew, but hadn't really hurt them. It was just a wake up call that she might not be the best mother and that if she was with kids 24 hours a day, she might lose it and end up hurting them. But not repeatedly. Not like this.

"I know it wasn't. If anyone understands about ghosts, it's us. This does not detract from what your wife was in life," John reassured him.

Bobby smiled at him.

Dean wasn't sure why his father was defending the monster that did this to his little brother, but he didn't care about that right now. He only wanted to make sure Sammy was going to be OK.

Finally, the doctor came out. "His neck isn't broken."

"Thank God," was chorused by the three men in front of him.

"He is badly bruised, and has a couple of broken ribs, but he should be fine in a couple of days. I noticed that he was a little anemic, so we put some iron in his IV.

"Can we see him?" Dean asked.

"Of course, but don't stay too long, he needs his rest."

"Thanks, Doc," John said and led the trio into Sam's room.

"Dad, I'm sorry," Sam said the second they were seated around his bed.

Dean had told them how Sam had accidentally freed the spirit and John thought that was what he was referring to. "You had no way of knowing that opening a box would end up in this," John said.

"No, I mean, I'm sorry for what I said to you. I was just trying to not make her mad." Sam looked down. His father probably hated him for being so weak.

"That's exactly what you should have been doing, Sammy. I also know that you're the one who figured out how to get rid of her. I'm proud of you," John said, knowing he didn't say this nearly enough to either one of his boys, but especially not to Sam.

"Yeah, and by letting her out, you actually let us put her to rest. I'm grateful for that Sam. I had no idea that she was in my house all of these years, but that must have been hard for her, and I'm glad that you set her free from that. That being said, don't go nosing through my stuff again, idjit."

Sam smiled. He knew Bobby wasn't mad when he called you an idjit. He only called people he loved that.

Dean and Sam had already apologized to each other ad nauseam throughout the whole ordeal, so Dean just said, "Glad you're alright, Tiger."

"Thanks, Dean."

The End

A/N Thanks for the few of you who read this. I almost didn't bother finish posting it since it was so unpopular, but I figured it was already written. Hopefully you'll all like Dark Side of the Moon better. What if Dean went to Heaven and Sam went to Purgatory?


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